System and method for managing workplace real estate and other resources

ABSTRACT

Organizations can proactively manage and reserve shared resources, such as workspaces, equipment and services, as well as report on the utilization of those resources across departments and facilities using the system of the present invention. Work-place management tools as provided by the present invention can be used to manipulate resources in real-time, automate inefficient processes, and track and analyze usage patterns, in order to make wise short-and long-term space and resource decisions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional applicationsSer. Nos. 60/346,880 entitled “Mobile Officing Reservation System andMethod” and 60/346,950, entitled “Communications Interface for MobileOfficing Reservation System”, both filed Jan. 9, 2002, and both ofcommon assignee herewith.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to shared resource management, and moreparticularly to a comprehensive method and system for managing workplacereal estate and resources so as to assist businesses in maximizingutilization and productivity.

BACKGROUND ART

Modern corporations require many types of assets in order to functionprofitably. Depending on the business the corporation is in, the companymay need raw materials, storage facilities, equipment, commercial realestate, information processing capabilities, communications systems and,of course, personnel. Since many assets or resources are not used at alltimes, they may be available for multiple users or for individual usersfor specific periods of time. It is important for companies to controlthe management of such shared resources in order to ensure properutilization and justify continuing investment in the resources.

With the increasing need to accommodate worker mobility, managing andallocating shared corporate resources has become even more important. Byensuring that employees get the resources they need, wherever they are,and that real estate is used efficiently, companies can increaseproductivity and profitability.

The earliest mobile officing solutions were completely full-serviceinitiatives run by concierges who managed reservations and set upworkspaces for daily use. More recently, systems for managing anddistributing resources among employees have relied upon paper-basedspreadsheets, log books or e-mail calendaring. These approaches fallshort in several areas, not the least of which is their inability tomanage resources across the enterprise or provide Internet access to ageographically dispersed workforce. It is clear that a new technologyinfrastructure is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

By the present invention, organizations can proactively manage andreserve shared resources (such as workspaces, equipment and services),as well as report on the utilization of those resources acrossdepartments and facilities. Workplace management tools can be used tomanipulate resources in real-time, automate inefficient processes, andtrack and analyze usage patterns, in order to make wise short-andlong-term space and resource decisions.

The present invention provides a system to allow businesses to improveinefficient resource distribution methods while providing a facilityand/or enterprise-wide view of shared assets. Users of the systembenefit from automated, easy-to-use services—deployed at either a singlefacility or across an enterprise—that can be accessed through a commoninterface, regardless of location. The present invention includes aresource management tool for creating, storing and accessing informationabout resources, such as real estate, computers, catering services andthe like. The present invention also includes a user management tool forcreating, storing and accessing information about users, such asuser-defined roles, resource manipulation privileges, profileinformation and the like. The present invention further includes atransaction management component to allow users to manipulate theresources, including affecting reservations for resources, associationsof one resource with another, or allocations of resources to one or moreusers in a subset of users. The present invention can also provide abilling component to be sure that any costs associated with resourcesare appropriately managed.

Using the present invention, workers can make a reservation through aweb site, walk-up kiosk or concierge. The invention can further switchusers' unique telephone extensions from the voice communications systemto the appropriate workspace, and can then disconnect that extensiononce the user leaves.

The present invention thereby enables organizations to maximize returnon real estate and resource investments, optimize the efficiency ofworkspaces, automate the reservation and scheduling of workspaces,equipment and services, optimize tele-work and mobile work strategies,deploy a single solution across an entire enterprise, and report onspace utilization and plan for future needs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing multiple actors interacting in a networkincorporating the system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing various components used in connection withone embodiment of the system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a chart showing different workspace resource attribute typesin connection with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing one method in which a user can managetransactions in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing one method in which a user can updatereservations in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing one method in which a user can updaterequests in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing one method in which a user can manageassociations in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing one method in which a user can manageusers in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing one method in which a user can manageresources in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing one method in which a user canconfigure allocation groups in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing how a user may reserve and check into areservation in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the timing of certain events inconnection with a reservation and check in, in one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing how the system of the present inventionmay be implemented.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing system operation in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 shows a flow diagram illustrating voice communication controlmethods in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram of the system architecture in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Definitions

The following terms are defined to enhance the understanding of theinvention, but the definitions contained should not be read in alimiting sense.

Administrator—a user who has the ability to configure and manipulate thesystem. This user can manage users, permissions and resources.

Allocation Group—a collection of specific instances of resources, whichare then assigned as a descriptor of a user of the system. Theallocation group to which a user belongs determines the specificresources which a user can see/request.

Archive—deactivation (not deletion) of users and/or resources from thesystem.

Attribute—a value associated with a resource or user. Each attribute canbe assigned a value.

Authentication—a system verification of the user's ability to utilizethe system.

Authorization Rules—rules that determine the type and scope of systemfunctionality to which individual users have access.

Auto Bump—occurs when the system automatically cancels a reservationbecause the grace period for check in has passed.

Automated Check out—occurs when system checks a user out of his or herreservation at the reservation end time instead of requiring manualcheck out.

Availability—the state of a resource when it is ready for use, notpreviously reserved, for a specific period of time.

Barcode—a scan-able image which can be used for authentication duringlogin, check in, or check out.

Bump—cancellation of a reservation by a user having higher authority.

Campus—refers to a number of buildings that are in close geographicalproximity. A user can check into a resource that is in a differentbuilding using a kiosk, as long as they are within the same campus.

Cancellation—nullification of a future reservation or request.

Cancellation lead time—the amount of time prior to the beginning of areservation that a change or cancellation can be made to the reservationwithout penalty.

Capacity—the maximum amount of people that can be accommodated in agiven space.

Catering—the provision of food and beverage service.

Check In—confirms to the system that the user has arrived to takepossession of his or her real estate reservation.

Check Out—confirms to the system that the user has released possessionof a resource.

Concierge—a staff member/user, who assists other users in thereservation process. This can include but is not limited to the making,editing, wait listing, bumping, confirming and canceling of reservationsand requests. This also may include the coordination of services,catering and required personnel.

Controlling Transaction—a controlling transaction is always atransaction for a workspace of any type (e.g., conference room, cubicle,etc.). Controlling transactions can have other transactions associatedwith them (dependent transactions). The success or failure of thecontrolling transaction determines the success or failure of itsdependent transactions.

Dependent request—a dependent request is another unconfirmed transactionby a user, which is associated with an unconfirmed resource request.

Dependent Transaction—a transaction associated with a reservation forresource.

E-mail notification—an e-mail that is generated upon the confirmation ofa reservation, receipt of a request, or notification of cancellation orbump, for example.

Equipment—resources available for reservation, such as projectors,laptops, or whiteboards, for example.

Event—a group of reservations that are tied together.

Facility—the physical building that houses real estate managed by thepresent system.

Grace period—the maximum time allotted from the start time of areservation to the time when a reservation will be automatically bumpedby the system.

Guest extension period—defines the “free or unassigned” extra extensionsavailable on a company's specific PBX. These extensions can betemporarily assigned to people for the duration of their working in thefacility.

Hoteling—sharing of office workspaces and resources.

Kiosk Interface—a browser-based interface specifically designed to allowusers to interact with the system via touch screen operation (functionscontrolled with finger tips) on a computer equipped with a touch screenmonitor computer that enables users to operate the system. The KioskInterface is capable of integrating with authentication devices orprograms such as barcode scanner, magnetic card reader, etc.

Lead Time—the amount of up-front notice required by the system before arequest for resource is allowed to take place. For instance, a requestfor catering may require a 24-hour advance request.

Login information—information required by the system to begin a session.

Manual Approval—the act of manually consummating a reservation or orderto make the resource unavailable for other users and making it aconfirmed reservation for the requestor.

Mobile worker—a person who works in many places.

One-click reservation—The ability to predefine a set of requiredcriteria for a user's most frequently created reservation.

Permission—an authorization or approval to manipulate transactionswithin the system of the present invention, usually provided by theAdministrator of the system.

Pooled Resource—a resource not uniquely named or accessible by a requestagent. They can be shared pieces of equipment that are classified assomething that must be delivered to a place specified by a requestagent. For example, “computer” might be a representation of an unnamedor pooled resource.

Preference—user-established values that enable one-click reservations,best-fit alternative selections and other system functions.

Profile—a collection of user information.

Race condition—occurs when two or more users simultaneously access andtry to request the same resource.

Request—an unconfirmed transaction in which a user has asked for aparticular resource.

Reservation—the temporary assigning of a resource to a user requestingthe resource for a scheduled period of time.

Resource—an asset or service that is managed by the present system.

Resource category/Resource type—the general and specific examples ofresources. For example, a workspace is a category and a cubicle is aworkspace type.

Search Criteria—data upon which a search is performed.

Services—work or duties performed in association with the fulfillment ofa reservation/request.

Time block—This described the range of time between the start time andend time of a user's request for a resource.

Time slot—This describes the interval of time that is used to segmentrequests and reservations at a more granular level. For instance, areservation for 1 p.m.-2 p.m. may actually consist of fourfifteen-minute time slots.

Voice Communication System—a telephony switching device that allowsphone extensions to be assigned to a physical location, such as PBX(Private Branch Exchange), Voice over Internet Protocol (“VOIP”), etc.

Waitlist—a mechanism for allowing users who have requested unavailableresources to be placed on a priority list for reserving the resource,should it later become available.

Workspace—a reservable space resource.

System Components and Operation

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 17, there is provided a system 10 formanaging workplace real estate and resources. In FIG. 1, a singlebusiness is shown which may extend across multiple offices 100, 102 toremote users 104 (accessing, e.g., from their homes) and users 150 whomay need to access the corporate network via wireless device, forexample. The network can be any of a variety of hardware, software andcommunications technology designed to facilitate corporate informationprocessing. In one embodiment, the main server farm 110 is located atoffice 100, and can include typical office suite software, internal andexternal (e.g., Internet) network access capabilities, security,corporate web server, transaction server, e-mail server, as well as anapplication server for assisting in the execution of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the system 10 of the present invention includes aninventory component 112, a user component 114, a reservation component116 and a billing component 118. The inventory component can store andaccess information about every reservable resource, whether thatresource is (1) physical workspace 111, such as a cubicle, conferenceroom or training room; (2) a physical item 113, such as food andbeverage, computer, telephone, writing implements; or (3) services 115,such as catering, photocopying, or courier services, or network or voiceconnectivity. Within the inventory component, the present invention canstore default information related to each employee or worker. Forexample, if office 100 has 75 workspaces and 70 employees, the inventorycomponent can store information about each employee and his or herrespective primary or default work space. In this way, the presentinvention can know what workspaces will not be available for reservationby default, i.e., with no worker movement. In one embodiment of theinvention, users are not provided with any default workspace, but mayhave priority or exclusive rights to reserve their workspace on aregular basis.

The inventory component 112 can also store information about each workspace type, such as the various types of resources that are availablebased upon the type of workspace being reserved. As shown in the diagram120 in FIG. 3, for example, a DVD player may be available in aconference room as at 121, but not at a cubicle. Also, the inventorycomponent can store information related to costs for using eachresource, whether costs are always assessed, and when to invoke latecancellation charges.

The user component 114 stores information 117 about each user, includingthe user's role, identification, authentication credentials, permissioninformation, and other user-specific elements. The user's role may beone of the following roles: administrator, concierge, user, serviceprovider, or equipment provider. The user's identification can be theuser's name or employee number. The user's authentication credentialscan be a password, private key, or biometric identification. The user'spermission information can determine what the user can access, and maybe determined on a default basis by the user's role, or may becustomized based on the user's needs. The user's permission informationcan also include information about specific associations or groups towhich the user belongs and which allow the user to make specialreservations as will be described below. Other user-specific informationcan include physical item requirements for the user at his or herworkspace, computer and telephone preferences and other preferenceinformation (e.g., window office, near kitchen, indirect light). In oneembodiment, the user component includes previously stored informationdescribing the user's preferred parameters for a reservation includingfacility, workspace type, specific resource or resource type, day ordate, time and recurrence, for example.

The billing component 118 stores information related to billing. Thiscan include charges incurred by users of various workspaces, resourcesand services.

The reservation component 116 allows users to interact with theinventory component so as to reserve or request resources, check into orout of a reservation, cancel or void a reservation, or conduct othertypes of transactions as at 119, and as herein described. Thereservation component can also be called the transaction engine.

The voice component 118A handles voice communication services andtransfers in connection with the present invention as described in moredetail hereinafter.

Transaction Management

The system of the present invention includes transaction managementcapabilities for handling a wide range of activities, includingmanipulating the items in the inventory. For example, users can checkresource availability, create and modify requests for resources, andcheck into and out of reservations. Users can also allocate resources tospecific users or user groups, or associate a specific resource with analready made reservation. Resources can include a variety of items suchas conference rooms, cubicles, computers, or catering, for example.

FIG. 4 shows a graphical representation of some of the user'stransaction management capabilities in connection with the presentinvention. The user 150 can be an administrator, an employee, aconcierge or other entity given authority to access the system of thepresent invention. In one embodiment, the system architecture 22 of thepresent invention incorporates a web server 23, application server 24,transaction engine 25 and data mart 26, as shown in FIG. 17. In oneembodiment of the invention, the user can access the system via theInternet or other network using a web browser 21 at their workspace,mobile device, home or kiosk. The voice communication controller 34discussed later herein would directly access the application server 24.

At 160 in FIG. 4, the user can read a previously establishedtransaction, whether that transaction is a past or present request,reservation or order. In one embodiment, the user must first beauthenticated and authorized before having read capabilities.Authentication can be through any of a variety of commonly knownauthentication procedures, such as password, key encryption or biometricauthentication. Authorization can also be via any of the commonly knownauthorization techniques, such as the pre-registration of the user intoa defined category having particular access authority associated to theclass. When searching for a particular transaction, the user can beprovided with search parameters, such as type of transaction, originatorof the transaction, or dates surrounding the transaction, for example.Once the user specifies the search parameters, the present inventionwill search for the transactions matching the specified parameters andfurther being permissible for the user to view, as shown at 170. Uponviewing the returned results, the user can select the transaction toview/read.

As shown at 180 and 190, respectively, the user can also check into orout of a reservation. In these cases, the user can be authenticated andauthorized as before, and will have previously established and confirmeda request for workspace. Upon deciding to check in, the presentinvention presents the user with a listing of outstanding reservationsto which the user has not previously checked into or out of Uponselecting the desired reservation, the present invention presents aconfirmation to the user, notifies all additional applicable parties,and records appropriate metric information for later system use.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the user can be a mobileworker accessing the system via mobile device having a browser or thelike. In another embodiment of the invention, the user can check in vialocal kiosk. In a further embodiment, the user can check in via callingor otherwise communicating with a system concierge, who may or may notbe locally present at the check-in location.

The system of the present invention can accommodate early and latearrivals for scheduled reservations. In one embodiment, user telephoneservice can be switched immediately upon the user's arrival, but theuser's start time for billing purposes would not begin until thereservation time. In a further embodiment, the user's start time forbilling purposes would begin at the actual check-in time if the user waschecking in unusually early, such as, for example, more than one timeslot earlier than the actual reservation time. The invention can becustomized to allow business rules to determine when voice communicationprofiles are transferred or when billing will begin, for example.

Upon checking out of a reservation as at 190, the user is informing thesystem that he or she is relinquishing possession of a workspace, andsimilar procedures to the check-in case follow. If the user has extendedhis or her stay beyond that originally reserved, the system of thepresent invention will allow this as long as there are no otherreservations having priority over the reserved space orfacilities/resources. The system will also track time used for billingpurposes, and in one embodiment will not re-transfer phone systems backuntil the user has checked out.

As shown at 200, the user can create a transaction for the purposes ofresearching or requesting reservation of resources. The user can beprompted with questions which help the system pinpoint the type ofresource the user is seeking. The system can then search for the desiredresource, as at 210. Upon finding the desired resource, the user canquery as to the availability 215 of that resource given the user'sparticular requirements. If the resource is available, the user caninquire as to whether the resource can be confirmed without requiringadditional human approval, as at 220. If so, the resource is thenreserved for the given location, time and date specified by the user.The system then blocks that resource's availability from other inquiringusers for the specified time and date, and can send a confirmation tothe user as well as notification to other appropriate parties, as at225. If the resource requires additional human approval, such as theadministrator or a department head, for example, such person(s) would benotified as determined by the system and, upon their approval, the abovereservation procedures would occur. In one embodiment of the invention,if two or more users simultaneously access and try to request the sameresource, one or more of the parties may lose the desired resource dueto another user making the reservation first. This is known as a racecondition; thus, it is important for the user to realize that theresource may or may not still be available until the reservation isconfirmed.

In another embodiment, when the transaction is created for a resourceother than workspace, the system of the present invention creates anindependent transaction, i.e., a transaction not tied to any otherresources. Where the transaction is created for a workspace, the usercan be given the opportunity to request other resources which willbecome dependent transactions, i.e., they are related to the workspacetransaction, which becomes the controlling transaction. In this way, theuser can cancel a given transaction for workspace, and the dependenttransactions related thereto will become automatically canceled.

As shown at 215, the user can check the availability of resources byanswering a series of questions about the resource desired, including,for example, the frequency of their request (e.g., daily, weekly,monthly). The questions presented can follow a pyramidal approach, suchas by having the user define the resource category first, then theresource type within the selected category, and the date/time/locationinformation to meet the user's needs. In one embodiment, the questionsare presented within a user interface that can be simply manipulated forlimited input environments, such as mobile phones. For example, theinterface may include simple selection buttons corresponding to numberson the user's phone, as opposed to text entry boxes. In anotherembodiment of the invention, the information returned by the system caninclude the closest matches for the request, if there are no directmatches.

In one embodiment, as at 230, the user can pre-store information in thesystem corresponding to the user's most commonly requested reservation.Upon storing this information, the user can then direct a “one-click”transaction search and request. In one embodiment, the user's one-clickpreference information includes day of week, start time, end time,facility, neighborhood and resource.

At all times, deviations from common system functions are accounted for.For example, if there are no reservations pending for a user, the systemcan so notify the user upon the user desiring to check in.

As shown in FIG. 5, users can update existing reservations and/ororders. These types of functions can include altering the time orlocation of a reservation or an order. Further, the altering of acontrolling transaction (e.g., a workspace reservation) can affect thedependent transactions related thereto. In one embodiment of theinvention, users are prevented from changing reservations where theyhave already checked into the reservation or where the start time hasalready passed.

A user 150 indicating to the system that he or she wants to modify anexisting reservation 240 or order can be provided with a menu of currentreservations. Upon selecting the particular reservation of interest, themodifiable parameters associated with the reservation are presented.Once the user has changed the desired parameters, the system invokes thefunctionality provided by the “search for resource” function 210 toensure that the user's requested changes have not affected theresource's availability. Next, the system cancels the user's originalreservation as at 245 and makes available to inventory any resources notpart of the revised reservation as at 250. Also at 250, the systemnotifies the inventory of any resources newly restricted by the revisedreservation, including dependent transactions. All appropriate partiesare notified and confirmations can be sent.

If a conflict results from a desired reservation change, the system cannotify the user and request alternative reservations, or the system cantake previously stored default decision information related to the userto make the best fit from the options available for resolving theconflict. In one embodiment, the user can be prompted to confirm thatthe changed reservation will result in one or more dependenttransactions being dropped and that this is acceptable. In a furtherembodiment, the system checks for “best fit” by resource-type and timeblock. For example, if the resource is a conference room, the system cansee if other conference rooms are available.

As further shown in FIG. 5, the system of the present invention can beused to bump 255 or cancel 245 a reservation. Bumping 255 a reservationinvolves ending another user's confirmed reservation against theirwishes. Bumping can occur after the start time of a reservation butbefore the end time. Bumping is typically initiated by a user 152 havinga higher status than the original user, such as one having permission tobump certain levels of reservations. Once the reservation has beenbumped, the system notifies all necessary parties, frees all previouslyreserved resources, and notifies all other necessary systems, such asthe voice communications systems. In one embodiment, the system of thepresent invention can be programmed to automatically bump reservationsbased on defined circumstances (e.g., check-in has not occurred within30 minutes of start time).

Canceling 245 ends a reservation and can be performed by the originatinguser 150 or user 152. Canceling can be configured to occur prior to thestart time or during the reservation. In one embodiment, the system canallow a concierge or other agent for the user to cancel the reservation.Such instances may require that the agent use a special code or passwordto effectuate the cancellation. In a further embodiment, the system canbe programmed to require lead time in order to end the transaction andtherefore release the canceling user from financial responsibility forthe reservation.

As further shown in FIG. 6, the system can allow the user 150 to modifyan existing request which has yet to be confirmed as a reservation bythe system. In such a case, the user can request at 265 a listing ofcurrent requests and can select the particular request desired to bemodified. Once selected, the user is provided with the parameters whichcan be modified, and the user makes the desired changes, as at 270. Thesystem accepts the desired changes, and the user's original request canthen be canceled as at 275.

Requests are not immediately confirmed but require authorized user 152approval. Upon logging in to the system, the user 152 can then selectthe requests 265 that he or she chooses to make a manual decision 228and can then approve 221 or deny 222 the request. Upon approval, thesystem determines availability 210 for the request and if available thesystem reserves the resource requested. The requestor is then notifiedand can act accordingly as previously described.

As shown in FIG. 7, associations can also be created, read, moved anddissolved. Dependent transactions can also be removed or added asnecessary. For example, in creating an association, as shown at 280, auser may already have one or more reservations pending in the system,and may wish to add a resource to one of the reservations. Upondirecting the system, the user can search for resources as at 210 whichmatch his or her needs and, if available and securable, can tie theadditional resource to the existing reservation. For example, if a userhas requested a workspace but no other resource, the user may wish tosearch to see if an additional resource is available. If so, thatresource can be added to the existing workspace reservation.

Similar to reading a transaction, the user can also select to read anassociation, as shown at 285, whereby associations of transactions canbe listed for the user to select from. Upon making a selection, the usercan see all previously created transactions within the selectedassociation.

Similar to changing a reservation or existing transaction, moving anassociation, shown at 290, allows the user to change a transaction forspace (a controlling transaction) and all dependent transactions. Inchanging the parameters of an association, the corresponding parametersof the individual transactions are also changed. For example, changingthe date an association is set to occur will change the start time forall of the transactions grouped within the association. In oneembodiment of the invention, the association cannot be moved if thestart time has already passed.

Similarly, dissolving an association, shown at 295, allows the user tocancel the entire association by dissolving the primary or controllingtransaction. For example, the user may dissolve an association ofconference room facilities, network connectivity, video-conferencing andcatering over a two-day period by simply canceling the conference roomfacilities. Once canceled, the remaining dependent transactions are alsocanceled by the system, and the system inventory is updated to reflectthe newly available resources.

Dependent transactions can be added and removed from controllingtransactions in a similar fashion. Upon searching for user-relatedassociations, the user may desire to add an additional resource as adependent transaction from a controlling transaction, e.g., adding aprojector to a conference room reservation. The system can search forand confirm the availability of the resource to be added, then notifythe appropriate parties and update its inventory to allow for the newlytaken resource. Similarly, the user may later remove the projectorequipment from the conference room reservation.

It will be appreciated that many of the functionalities invoked by thepresent system can be re-used for different user needs. For example, thesystem can use the “Search for Request” and “Cancel Reservation”functionality when the user desires to modify a request. In this way,many portions of the programming involved in the present invention aremaximized for use.

User Management

As shown in FIG. 8, the system of the present invention allows user anduser types to be created and removed. Each user can further be providedwith profile information to assist the system in processinguser-specific requests. In one embodiment of the invention, the systemfirst designates an administrative entity 145 or entities having rightsto create 300, remove 305, identify 308 and modify 310, 320 userinformation.

In establishing a new user to the system, as shown at 300, theadministrator can add user demographic information, profile information,the user's role, the user's allocation group, and other user attributes.The user's role can be, for example, administrator, concierge, mobileworker, knowledge worker, etc. The system can allow the administrator toestablish user information based on pre-defined fields and parameters,or based on administrator-defined fields and parameters. The system canalso have pre-defined authorization levels based upon the user's statusor role. The newly defined user 150 can also review 315, update 320 andapprove the information stored in his or her profile. If the informationneeds to be modified from time to time, the user, administrator orconcierge can do so, as at 310. Modifying a profile can includeestablishing a user's “one-click” preference information for use whencreating a transaction.

Users may also use the present invention to search for other usershaving a given profile, or for the current location of a given userbased on existing reservations.

Resource Management

Just as users can be added, removed or modified, resources can be added,viewed, identified, modified and removed, as shown in FIG. 9.Administrators 145 can add resources to 330, or remove resources from335, the inventory of resources. Resources can be added from apre-defined list or based on a user's specific needs. Once added, theresource must be given attributes that define its behavior in thesystem. Attributes can be viewed 340 and updated 345 for existing aswell as newly created resources. For example, there may bepre-conditions for the resource's availability, or the resource may notreduce inventory if selected (e.g., writing instruments at a workspace).System reporting can determine usage rates of various resources andassociated business procurement needs. If custom user or resourceattributes are implemented, the implementing user must specify the datatype and format of the new user attribute.

As shown in FIG. 10, allocation groups can be created 350, removed 355and modified (as at 360, 365 and 370) and can further incorporate usersor resources. Allocation groups are groups of resources which are sogrouped so as to restrict which instances of resources users of thesystem of the present invention are able to see and/or request. Forexample, if a series of workspaces are labeled the “Project Financegroup spaces,” creating a reservation for such series may be limited tothose members of the Project Finance team. Both resources and users canbe added and removed from allocation groups.

Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the entirety of systemusers may have access to a certain subset of system resources, a subsetof system users may have access to separate system resources, andindividual users may be provided with exclusive access to particularsystem resources. For example, a corporate vice president can have herworkspace allocated specifically and only to her, thereby allowing herto reserve that workspace routinely as desired. The same vice presidentmay be part of a group of users having the ability to reserve thecorporate board room. Further, the vice president would be part of theuniverse of users capable of reserving a laptop computer, for example.

In those instances where a user's allocation have no availableresources, a concierge user can make a reservation for that useremploying the broader concierge's allocations.

It will be appreciated that appropriate business rules may be associatedwith the management of transactions, users, resources and systemimplementation. For example, if a user is not allowed to bump his or herown reservation, that is a business rule affecting the management oftransactions. The present invention can be provided with its own set ofmodifiable business rules. In another embodiment, the present inventioncan be provided with no set business rules, whereby the administratorcan establish all business rules affecting system management.

Kiosk Interface and Other Interfaces

In the physical layout of one embodiment of the system of the presentinvention, computers displaying the Kiosk Interface 105 can be placedlocally at or near the entrance to a facility 102, as shown in FIG. 11.The system's Kiosk Interface allow users to quickly access frequentlyused system functions. For example, through a Kiosk Interface, a usermay create a “just in time” reservation or a “one-click” reservation,check into or out of a reservation, cancel a reservation, or locate aresource, reservation, or person.

In a typical embodiment of the present invention, the Kiosk Interface ofthe system operates on a computer equipped with a touch screen monitorthat allows the user to use touch-sensitive controls to enable systeminteraction and resource manipulation via fingertip. Because the KioskInterface is a browser-based interface, it may be deployed anywherenetwork connectivity exists. Touch screen interfaces are commonly known,but not deployable as a browser based interfaces. By the presentinvention, floor plans and other diagrams and icons representing systemresources can be presented as bitmap, gif or other computer graphicimages and used to make system function much easier to control and toprovide a useful format to display database information to the user.Similar icons and graphical representations can be represented andmanipulated on a wireless device interacting with the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system can be accessed through multipleinterfaces over a variety of communication networks. For example, a usercan access the system via a properly equipped wireless device 80 over awireless network 82, via standard network computer 84 over the internalnetwork, or via remote computer 86 over the Internet, an extranet orother public/private network 88. Service providers 90, vendors 92,communications providers 94 and other outside parties 96 can access thesystem in similar ways. For example, in one embodiment of the invention,outside parties could be allowed to rent excess workspace. Appropriatefirewall and other security can be implemented to allow such outsidersto use standard business computing components.

In a further embodiment, users of separate systems can access resourcesof the other system. For example, an employee of Company A having acertain role and privileges for manipulating resources within CompanyA's management system, may be allowed to access Company B's managementsystem in the role of an outside user. As such, the Company A employeemay be able to reserve temporary workspace while on travel.

In one embodiment, the present invention accommodates such circumstanceswhether the outside user situation is private-to-private,private-to-public, public-to-private, or public-to-public. Furtherexemplifying, private-to-private access can occur with a user from acorporation at location A seeking to manipulate resources from locationB. Private-to-public access can occur when user from Company A seeks touse public resources made available such as by a tele-work center.Public-to-private access can occur when the public user seeks tomanipulate or reserve resources from Company A's private managementsystem. Public-to-public access can occur when an unaffiliated userseeks to interact with resources generally available and not private.

Reporting

It will be appreciated that through the interaction of the many users ofthe system of the present invention, valuable data can be derived. Thepresent invention can be provided with data management and reportingcapabilities to address the information needs of the concierge, officemanagers, facility managers, business/line managers, database and systemadministrators, fulfillment agents, and senior executives. For example,reports may be provided for past system usage on a daily/weekly basis,or for future estimated system use. Reports may be customized based onuser type, resource type, request type, reservation type, workflow, ortype of device making the reservation, for example. Through reportanalysis, better business decisions can be made to ensure systemup-time, utility and profitability.

In one embodiment of the invention, the system can use an on-line entrydatabase having the more complex table structure for adding andmodifying on-line data, coupled with a reporting database having amodified table structure designed to minimize table joins and maximizeprocessing speed. Data archiving and historical transaction datacollection can be achieved through methods presently known in the art.

FIG. 11 shows one embodiment of a method of the present inventionwhereby a user 151 from a first facility 100 interacts with thereservation component 116 of the present invention to reserve aconference room at a second facility 102. The user 151 is presumed tohave been appropriately added to the user database and provided withappropriate authorization credentials and permissions.

As shown in FIG. 12, once the user has reserved the workspace (at 400),he or she is prompted to reserve additional resources, as at 405. If,for example, the user has requested catering for eight people, networkconnectivity, a VCR, a television and voice service, several outsideparties may be notified in advance of the user's reservation, as at 410.At 415, cancellation deadlines may be established whereby the user willbe held financially responsible if attempting to cancel an order orservice beyond the deadline, as at 425. If the user cancels thereservation for the order or service prior to the deadline, there is nopenalty, as at 420. Once the user checks in at 430, resources which needno advance set up can be transferred to the user's workspace. Forexample, if a network or voice connection needs to be flipped, this cantake place nearly instantaneously with the user's check in.

Referring back to FIG. 11, the user 151 may check in at a kiosk 105provided at the facility 102 where his workspace is reserved. In oneembodiment of the invention, the kiosk 105 can be provided at onebuilding of a combination of buildings. In this “campus” mode, the usercan check in at the kiosk provided at a first building for a reservationat a second building within the same group of buildings. This is highlydesirable for companies employing a campus-like work environment.

As shown in FIG. 13, system implementation involves establishing theinventory of workspaces and resources as at 450, as well as the userroles and relationships 460. Once the fundamental players are defined,customized features can be provided such as user preferences andprofiles 470 and specific business rules 480.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram showing system interaction among the variouscomponents during a reservation sequence. As at 510, the inventory ofresources is established. At 520, a previously registered user mayselect for a reservation any resource in his or her allocation. Thesystem checks its inventory of resources at the requested facility todetermine if a resource is available, as at 530. If not, then the systemcan notify the requesting user and the requesting user can try adifferent search. Alternatively, the system can put the user's resourceselection in a wait-list for a resource at the requested facility, as at540. The resource can be waitlisted automatically or after beingdirected by the user, if resource is configure to allowed that resourceto be waitlisted.

The system determines if multiple resources will exactly satisfy theuser's selection criteria, as at 550. The user then selects the specificresource desired. If there is no exact match for the resource selectioncriteria, the system will perform a “best fit” search as at 570. Bestfit can be determined by giving the requesting user a choice amongseveral resources that best fit the user's specific resource criteria.The user then can select the specific resource desired.

Once the reservation is made, appropriate parties are notified as at 580and the system inventory is updated to reflect the now-taken resourcesfor the given time and date. For example, any attending users, supportstaff, service suppliers and other parties can be notified via e-mail orother communications method deemed appropriate. Before checking in, theuser can request changes as at 590 to resources or space as long as theuser has been given authorization. Once the user has checked in to thereservation as at 600, the billing component may be notified as at 610to track the user's occupancy and other potential charges for resources.It will be appreciated that, while the billing component may be mostfrequently tied to check in and check out, the billing component mayinteract with the reservation system on more occasions.

Once the user has checked in, the inventory of space and resources canbe updated as at 620 to reflect at least the user's current releasing ofhis previously occupied space, which may be his default workspace. Ifthe user then requires post check-in changes to resources, he mayrequest them to the extent allowed as at 630. Upon check out at 640, thebilling component may again be notified, and the system inventory isupdated as at 650 to reflect the change in occupancy status of theresource which had been checked into and the resource to which the usernext goes.

Voice Communication Controller

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the present invention can be configured tohandle voice communication services as well as data. For example, a usermoving from his or her default workspace to workspace in the same oranother facility will find it most convenient if their voice servicesare transferred to the local device at the facility where they will belocated. In this way, their voice profile, telephony functions such asvoice mail and other customized phone attributes can be transferred totheir new location for the duration of their visit. In one embodiment,as shown in FIG. 15, the user makes a reservation through a systeminterface 32, which collects their voice communication profileinformation from the database 33 using application engine 32A, andnotifies the voice communication controller 34. The voice communicationcontroller can comprise a switchboard, operator and/or agent 34A,control and data files 35 and a voice communication control driver 36.The voice communication controller 34 passes control and data files 35to the voice communication control driver 36 for binding or removing theuser profile to or from the physical device 38 where the user will belocated, via the voice communication system 37.

In the present invention, the switchboard, operator and/or agent 34Aalong with the control and data files 35 transport appropriate databetween the system database and the voice communication control driver36. The driver 36 continuously loops through the process of checking fora voice communication controller termination flag, which signals arequest from the voice communication controller for the driverapplication to terminate. Within this loop, another loop can execute tocheck for the voice communication controller start flag, which signifiesthat there is task data in the task file containing commands. When thedriver 36 detects a start flag, the interface will transmit user anddevice information, as well as commands that instruct the call managerto log a specific user into or out of a specific device. When signaledby the driver, the interface will pass a completion flag with success orfailure codes and, if applicable, error codes and specific messages fromthe call manager back to the voice communication controller 34. Datatransmission between the voice communication controller and the drivercan be performed using a task file API (application programminginterface). Control flow between the voice communication controller andthe driver can be negotiated using a signal file API.

Upon receipt of a login or logout command from the driver 36, the voicecommunication system interface can translate the task data from the taskAPI into XML that conforms to the login service document type definition(DTD) supplied by the voice communication system (e.g., Cisco™ CallManager™). The voice communication system interface can be made specificto the login request and login response DTDs for the current loginservice version. In one embodiment, the driver 36 sends the resultingXML to the login service active server page (ASP) via HTTP POST, and theinterface then waits for the response from the voice communicationsystem. Upon receipt of a login/logout response from the login service,the driver can translate the XML data into voice communicationcontroller task data, which can then be passed from the voicecommunication system interface to the driver 36 for flow control anderror handling. All transmissions to and from the voice communicationsystem interface to the voice communication system can includeauthentication data for the driver itself 36, as well as the user anddevice data required for the given situation. Further, the voicecommunication system interface need not use the login service queryfunctionality provided by the commercial manufacturer of the voicecommunication system.

The provisions in the system of the present invention for interactingwith the voice communication system ensure a cohesive solution forbusinesses. For example, the system of the present invention can be usedto initiate and terminate voice communication profile transfer to agiven phone extension for a given workspace in several different ways.In one example, the user can specify when the system should transfer hisor her voice communication profile. In another example, the system ofthe present invention can enable the transfer to occur automatically ata certain time each day. In one embodiment of the invention, the systemwill be given a “sweep time” in which to “sweep” all temporarilytransferred voice communication profiles from the given extensions. In afurther example, the system can establish a start time and a completetime for the user's reservation and automatically transfer the user'svoice communication profile at the start and complete times. In still afurther example, the system can establish a buffer time period, whichgives the user time to “check in” to his or her reservation past thereserved start time. If the user checks in prior to the expiration ofthe buffer time period, the system would then leave the voicecommunication profile at the reserved extension; otherwise, the systemcould terminate the profile from the given extension. In anotherexample, the system of the present invention can delay the transfer ofthe voice communication profile from a given extension automatically atthe end of the last day of a multiple day reservation. In anotherexample, the system of the present invention can transfer the voicecommunication profile from a given extension automatically when the useremploys the Check Out command.

Integration with Other Services

In one embodiment of the invention, the system can be integrated withthird party packages. For example, the system can be integrated withe-mail and ICS (Internet Calendaring Standards) supported applications,such as Lotus Notes™ commercially available from IBM Corporation andExchange™ from Microsoft Corporation. The present invention can furtherbe integrated with HR System programs, such as Peoplesoft™, commerciallyavailable from Peoplesoft, Inc. The present invention can utilizestandard XML and ODBC technologies and therefore is capable ofintegrating with space recharge systems, visitor management systems,security systems, and finance systems, catering, facility management,air/car/hotel, video services such as video collaboration and videoconferencing, as well as leading telephony switches such as thosecommercially offered by Cisco Systems, Avaya, Nortel, Siemens, Comdial,Bosch, Lexicom and others.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the claims of the application rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

1. A method for facilitating user portability in a work environmentcomprising the steps of: providing an inventory of resources including aplurality of shared physical resources and corresponding voicecommunication extensions available to be searched for and reserved,establishing a voice communication profile for at least one user andassociating the voice communication profile with a first physicalworkspace resource and corresponding voice communication extension, andremoving said first physical workspace resource from being a resourceavailable for reservation; receiving an electronic request from saiduser or a person acting on behalf of said user to reserve a secondphysical workspaces resourse for said user for a given time period tothe exclusion of any other user during the given time period; at adetermined beginning time not associated with the receipt of an incomingcall, binding the voice communication profile to said second workspaceresource while disassociating the voice communication profile from thefirst workspace resource, thereby allowing said first workspace resourceto be available for reservation, and whereby incoming voice trafficintended for said user is received exclusively at the second resource'sextension between the determined beginning time and the determined endtime; and at a determined end time not associated with the terminationof a call, disassociating said voice communication profile from saidsecond workspace resource.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said giventime period includes a start and a complete time and wherein saiddetermined beginning time is said start time.
 3. The method of claim 2including the step of establishing a buffer time period and furtherestablishing said determined end time to be equal to the buffer timeadded to the start time, provided that no check-in communication isreceived from said user before said buffer time period has elapsed. 4.The method of claim 1 including the further step of receiving a check-incommunication from said user and wherein said determined beginning timeis determined by said check-in communication.
 5. The method of claim 1wherein said given time period includes a start and a complete time andwherein said determined end time is said complete time.
 6. The method ofclaim 1 including the further step of receiving a check-outcommunication from said user and wherein said determined end time isdetermined by said check-out communication.
 7. The method of claim 1including the step of establishing an end-of-day sweep time and whereinsaid determined end time is said sweep time.
 8. The method of claim 1wherein said binding takes place using Voice-over-IP (VOIP).
 9. Atelephony system, comprising: an inventory component for storing andaccessing information about at least shared workspace resources; a usercomponent for storing and accessing information about system users,including a voice communication profile and a first physical workspaceresource for at least one user; a reservation component for allowingusers to electronically interact with said inventory component to atleast reserve a second physical workspace resource to the exclusion ofany other user during a given time period; and a voice communicationcontroller for controlling the binding of said at least one voicecommunication profile to and from at least one resource, said controllerincluding means for disassociating the user's voice communicationprofile from the first workspace resource and means for binding thevoice communication profile to the second workspace resource such thatincoming voice traffic intended for said user is received exclusively atthe second resource's extension between a determined beginning time anda determined end time associated with the reserved second resource. 10.The system of claim 9 wherein said voice communication controlleroperates via said reservation component.